TANZANIA: Stop unnecessary judgement delays, judiciary officials told

BY LUSEKELO PHILEMON

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda has warned judges and magistrates across the country to avoid unnecessary delays in delivering case rulings, saying the tendency has become a breeding ground for corruption in the judiciary.

The premier sounded the warning here yesterday when addressing judges and magistrates from across the country who have gathered here for a six-day meeting.

In his speech read on his behalf by Mathias Chikawe, minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Pinda explained that indiscipline by some judicial officers had tainted the image of the judiciary, yet they were expected to be role models to the public.

According to the premier, delayed judgments were a source of anxiety for the litigants.

He said as a result, court clerks exploited the delays to demand money from clients on behalf of the magistrates to have the judgments written and delivered.

He further cautioned magistrates against delivering judgments on notice as they tend to create uncertainty, which is in turn exploited by corrupt individuals to give bribes which encourage procrastination.

Pinda also warned magistrates to desist from unethical conduct, saying they risk being disciplined.

“Indiscipline among some judicial officers has tainted the image of the judiciary, yet they are expected to be role models to the public,” he said, adding:

“It is important for judges and magistrates to give their rulings on time and without favouritism. Give everyone equal rights…this will make you respected in the society.”

He however challenged them to fast-track the process of computerizing the judicial system in a bid to ease and improves service delivery.

“It is time to computerize our courts so that judges and magistrates do away with paper work,” the premier stated, urging judges to come up with a strategy that will make the country’s legal institutions digitalize their services in an effort to speed up delivery of justice.

“Adoption of technology will help improve court procedures and make courts deliver justice in time…this will also reduce a backlog of cases in our courts,” the PM said.

For his part, Chief Justice Mohamed Chande Othman said the judiciary will not tolerate late coming, absenteeism, laziness, poor quality work, delayed judgments and corruption.

He however said the country’s judiciary was currently overwhelmed with numerous challenges that need to be addressed.

“We want cases to take a maximum of two years rather than today’s situation where one case stays in courts for up to five years,” he said.

The six-day meeting aims at working on the challenges facing the courts and thereafter come up with measures to address them.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN (13/11/2012): http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend/index.php?l=47946